Time for bed
children, mommy has to go perform in Moulin Rouge
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Creepy chiller
which ladles on the tension before reaching an unexpected climax.
Nigel
Bell
This is one of those rare films from 21st century Hollywood - a
movie which succeeds without gallons of blood and mounting piles
of dead bodies.
That's not to
say the clichés aren't present.
The film is
set in a large, fog shrouded family house on Jersey in 1945, just
after the Germans have left. The fog never lifts.
Three strange
characters arise at the front door of Grace (Kidman), a mother of
two whose husband is missing, presumed killed in the war.
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| I'm going
to give those trick or treaters such a shock |
The trio are
servants, answering an advertisement placed by Grace after her previous
employees mysteriously vanished.
Bizarrely, these
new domestics include a gardener, Mr Tuttle, played by a white haired
Eric Sykes.
Evidence that
all is not well is immediate as Grace commands that every door in
the house be locked before a new one is opened.
The reason is
that her children, Ann and Nicholas, suffer from an affliction to
daylight. Very weird.
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| Would you
let these people loose in your house? |
Eldest daughter
Ann also has a habit of hearing noises and "seeing" people
who shouldn't be there. She loves scaring her brother witless.
Incidentally
the child performances are very good.
The great think
about The Others is that everybody is strange and each has
a potential secret which could explain the creepy goings on in the
house.
This is a psychological
thriller. There's no blood, you'll jump about three or four times
but you'll always be on your guard, such is the way Amenabar builds
the tension.
Although it
flags on occasions, stick with the story, because the ending is
totally unexpected (although there'll be those out there who will
say "I guessed that after 20 minutes!).
A great film
for this time of year. Let your imagination run away with you.
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